Change Your Life
by theonlyxception
Summary: It only takes one event to change your life. Hank/Jill
1. Back to the Hamptons

It's been a long three months since I've been able to write anything, but finally on the last week of this semester and couldn't be happier. As long as my muse continues to cooperate, I'll write.

* * *

Having been away from the Hamptons for the last four months, Jill sighed as she finally made her way to the baggage claim. It had taken nearly a full day to fly back from Africa to New York. However, it was worth it to see the look on her brother's face when she showed up just in time for his wedding.

Claiming her baggage, she thought about how much Ernie had been disappointed she wouldn't make it to his wedding. He didn't have to say it for her to know this. However, opening a hospital where health care was scarce was something she had dreamed about since she was a little girl. Even if that had meant leaving her family and friends and selling her house, she had made the ultimate sacrifice to make that dream come true.

As she shouldered her carry on bag, she had walked out through the sliding airport doors. The slight breeze made her stop and close her eyes to savor the moment. When she opened them again, her grin grew brighter as she saw her older brother Andrew standing off to the side with a sign labeled _Casey_.

Andrew was the oldest of her three brothers. He was about a foot taller than her; chocolate brown eyes, irresistible dimples that had driven the girls crazy back in high school, and now he was the father of two children. He had also been Jill's hero growing up. Even though they were nearly six years apart, she had always been the one he had called to help him scheme. Most of them had been good schemes, but sometimes those schemes had gotten them into trouble.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He greeted as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"If that's your way of saying you missed me-"

"Of course it is." He pulled her away to look at her. "How are you?"

"If we're being honest here? I'm exhausted." She nodded into his shoulder. "But I'm glad to be home."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, don't we have a wedding to crash or something?" Smiling deviously, they walked through the airport parking lot.

He nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Have you lost weight?"

She smacked his arm with her free hand. "A little. I've been kind of busy running a hospital in Africa."

"That's right. How's that going?"

"It's going well." Pushing away a stray hair from her face, she lifted her chin so she got some of the cooler air that was coming their way. "Even though the hospital isn't one hundred percent up and running yet, my job was to pretty much help train staff about finance and how to run a hospital. We have a doctor who came to help train the doctors and nurses on procedures they may have never heard about-"

"My car is right here." He pointed to a silver civic that had been parked between a white truck and a gold colored minivan. "You can stick your bag in the trunk."

Sliding the bag off, she placed it in the trunk and closed it. "Nice car. You have any more children and you'll be driving a minivan." She gestured over to the gold van beside them as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Andrew smiled broadly, focusing on the road ahead of them. There was a steady line of cars in every direction that it took them awhile to get out onto the road. "You can sleep if you want. I'm sure Mason and Ava will want to meet you when we get home."

Mason was Andrew's two year old son; wild, energetic, fun and loving. While he had his father's personality, he was blonde haired and had blue eyes, just like his mom. Ava was all her dad, especially with all her dark hair.

Jill took in a deep breath. "I'm not sure I can sleep just yet. You know how I am during long car rides."

"Makes me wonder how you made it through a twenty-two hour flight to Africa."

"Thanks to Dramamine, I hardly felt a thing." She settled against the window, the palm of her hand against her cheek. The air conditioning kicked on, which was almost soothing as she let her thoughts take over. _What was Hank doing now? Was Hank Med still going strong? How was he doing? How much had she missed being away? What would her parents think of her coming back? _

"What are you thinking about over there?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, drawing in a deep breath as she turned to look at him. "I'm just thinking about what it's like being back in the Hamptons."

"And possibly running into Hank again?"

"Not a moment I'm really looking forward to."

"As long as you know that possibility could happen." He gave her that protective brother look, which caused her to roll her eyes. Out of all her brothers, Andrew had also been the most protective of her.

"If that moment ever comes, I'm sure I can handle it." She assured him as they stopped at a red light. He held his hands up that he would back up for now. "Thank you. Besides, it's not like Hank and I ended on a bad note." She turned back to the window. "I just don't know how he would take me coming back to New York."

Letting the whole conversation drop, she went back to focusing on the passing scenery. Soon they turned down a familiar road that she didn't think she would see again—at least not for awhile. It was the road that led to Hank's place. Luckily, they headed three blocks down the opposite direction to a nice neighborhood filled with fences, and toys littered all over newly trimmed lawns.

Andrew's in particular had a little blue bike parked on the porch. "Here we are." He gestured to the blue-gray painted house, white curtains draped the open living room window. She stepped out, wavering a little as she put her hand on the car to steady herself. "You okay?"

She shook her head to rid the dizziness, then nodded. "Probably the result of being in motion a little too long."

"Come on we'll get you settled and you can rest for awhile before we have to go the rehearsal."

Andrew grabbed her bag from the back of the car before they went inside, and set her bag just inside the door. "Carina? We have company." There was a rustling in the kitchen, then heavy footsteps followed down the hall as a blonde haired woman came into view, with a little Ava in tow.

"Hi, Carina."

"Jill, it is so good to see you again." Carina greeted her, enveloping her into a hug.

"It's good to see you too." Jill hugged her back. "And this must be Ava."

"Yes, it is." Carina looked down at her daughter. The little girl squirmed, now making cooing sounds and sucking on her fist. "I'm afraid she's a bit tired, as you must be."

"Very." Jill was still quite mesmerized by Ava. "She's beautiful."

"Thank you. You're welcome to hold her if you want."

Jill looked down at her hands. "I should probably wash my hands and change first, but then I would be glad to take her off your hands for awhile. Perhaps we can even take a nap together."

"I'm sure Ava would love that." Carina called over her shoulder. "I'll finish preparing her bottle and you're welcome to rock her all you want."

Jill nodded, grabbing her bag and headed upstairs to the guest bedroom at the end of the hall. Exhaustion was starting to take over by full force, so she hurried and changed into a short-sleeved purple shirt and another pair of jeans, before padding back down the hall to the bathroom. She couldn't help but smile at the little toothbrushes in the holder as she washed her hand and splashed some water on her face. The long trip had taken a toll on her, but it was worth it if she got to hold her niece for the first time.

She dried her face with the towel. When she opened the door, Carina was waiting with Ava in her arms. "Hey, I thought I'd save you the trouble and bring her up."

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that. I would have come downstairs to get her."

Carina gestured to the last door by the stairs as she handed Ava to her. "She likes to be fed in the rocking chair in her room. If you have any questions, Andrew and I will be downstairs."

"I'm sure we can handle this. Right, Ava?"

"Then I will leave you two to get acquainted." Carina grinned at Jill, then handed her the bottle filled with warm milk before padding back downstairs.

"Okay, little one-" Jill whispered to her slightly fussy niece. "Let's see if we can get a nap in before Uncle Ernie's wedding rehearsal."


	2. Glad You Came

"How are they?" Andrew inquired as his wife slipped back into their room, softly shutting the door behind them. He was standing in front of the floor mirror, buttoning up the cuff of his white dress shirt.

"Still sleeping."

"All of them?" He lifted his eyebrow in surprise, then went on to straightening his tie. Before he was finished, he took it off then disappeared into the closet and came out with a red tie.

"Even Mason. They're all out cold."

"I can see why my sister would be out cold. However, our kids have never slept this long."

"Well, Ava hasn't ever slept this long since she was born two months ago." She corrected, pulling a dark purple dress from her closet and laid it on the bed.

"That the dress Jill ordered last month?"

"Its beautiful, isn't it?"

He took a long look at the v-neck dress. "Reminds me of the dress she wore to her prom. I'm sure she'll love it." Grabbing his watch off the dresser, he kissed his wife on her cheek.

"I'll go put the dress on her bed."

"And I'll try and see if I can wake some people up so we're not too late."

"Good luck with that."

Padding down the hall, he decided to poke into his son's bedroom first. He knelt down the level of his bed, gently rubbing his back."Mason." The little boy didn't stir once, so he tried again. "Mason, it's time for you to get up from your nap."

"Daddy?" Mason finally stirred as he stretched his hands over his head.

"Yeah, buddy."

"You home?"

"You had a long nap while I went to pick up Aunt Jill." He rubbed his back encouragingly. "She's going to come with us to Uncle Ernie's wedding."

"Oh." Mason rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Where did she go?"

"She went to Africa to help people."

He sat up in bed. "What kind of people?"

"People that don't have the same things that we have here." Andrew paused, running his hands through his son's hair. "Tell you what. If you have any more questions, you can ask Aunt Jill what she's been up to the last four months, alright?"

"Okay."

"Alright. Why don't you go see what mommy is going to have you wear tonight, while I go work on waking up your aunt and sister."

"Okay, Daddy."

* * *

As he entered the nursery, Andrew couldn't help but laugh at seeing his sister sitting in the rocking chair with his little girl. Her hand was protectively on Ava's back, which kept his little girl from tipping over in her sleep.

He crossed the room, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Jill?"

"Hmm?"

"It's time to get up or we're going to be late for Ernie's wedding rehearsal." It took her a few seconds to wake up as she looked down at Ava, who was snoozing against her chest. "Wow, you really knocked her out."

"What can I say? We were both pretty tired." She looked around the room in slight confusion. "How long were we out?"

"Almost three hours."

"That's strange. I never sleep that long." Jill sat up straighter in the chair, almost rocking now. Ava stirred slightly at the movement, making almost a squeaking noise in protest of being woken up.

"Here, I'll take Ava while you get changed." She gently handed him Ava, then he offered his hand to pull Jill up." Carina put your dress on the bed."

"Tell her I said thanks."

"I will tell her."

She waited until he had disappeared out the door before moving across the room. "It's just jet lag." Jill muttered to herself before heading to the guest bedroom.

* * *

"Second times a charm." Andrew called out to Ernie, upon their arrival at the church.

"You're late." Ernie said in slight annoyance as he walked towards them. "Jill?"

Her mom and dad turned to look at him, then over to her as she stepped into view. "Hi, Ernie. Mom. Dad."

"Aunt Jill?" Luke walked in through the door of the church, cell phone in hand. "I thought you were in Africa."

"I was. But then I figured that I couldn't miss your father's wedding for that."

Her fifteen year old nephew smirked, now standing by her side. "You officially rock."

"Oh, now I officially rock?" She teased, wrapping her arm around his neck . "Come here."

"Aah!" He protested, slipping his phone into his pocket. "Okay, you came let go now. Seriously, you're hurting me."

"I bet I can guess where she learned that." Ernie pulled her into a hug. "I'm so glad you came."

"You know I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Jill told him, holding him closely for a moment. She looked at her clean shaven brother, who was about to get married for the second time. "I'm so proud of you."

"Mom." She looked over at her mother who had tears pricking at her eyes. She looked like an older but taller version of Jill, but with peppered hair.

"I'm so glad you decided to come." Her mother's wrinkled hands grasped hers tightly.

"Me too."

"I'm sorry to interrupt this reunion." The priest announced from the front of the church. "But we should probably get started." As they gathered together, her dad leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"I don't know about you, but I am stuffed." Jill announced as they walked through the door almost three hours later.

"I almost forgot how well our parents feed us." Andrew mentioned, putting the diaper bag beside the couch.

"How they spoil us with food, is more like it." Jill stifled a yawn as she took Ava so Carina could snuggle with a tired Mason.

"I see jet lag is still getting to you."

"Always." Jill half-rolled her eyes because of his worried brotherly tone. "But I'm good. It will probably take as long as I'm here to adjust, but it was worth it to spend time with you all of you." Sitting down on the couch, she propped Ava up on her knees.

"Well, I'm sure we'll all miss you when it's time for you to go back, right Mason?" Carina tickled her son's stomach. Mason giggled, then laid his head back down on his mom's shoulder. "Especially that little one. I don't think I've heard her cry once when she's in your arms."

"It probably helps that I love to hold her." Jill snuggled into the couch, with the baby now resting on her chest.

Mason crawled into his mother's lap. "Looks like several people are ready to take a nap, myself included." Carina added with a small laugh as she brushed her finger's through his hair.

"Seems more like couch party central to me." Jill teased, leaning her head back against the couch. Andrew took a seat on the leg rest.

"So Jill-"

"Hmm?"

"You missing the Hamptons yet?"

Jill smiled sleepily, her eyes drooping. "Now that you're here?"

"You always were good at being sarcastic." Andrew noted, leaning his hands against his knees. "So it wasn't fun being here by yourself?"

"Oh, I had plenty of fun." Jill admitted, no longer being able to keep her eyes open. "Falling on golf courses, getting stuck in a torrential rain storm, people filming reality shows in my backyard, angry patients-"

"Wait, back up—you fell on a golf course?"

"Several times. But I'm afraid that is a story for another day." She muttered, her head now drifting off to the side.

"I'd love to hear it some time." Andrew pressed, but she was already fast asleep.


	3. Trouble Brewing

"Hey, you're awake. And baby-less." Andrew turned around while stirring something around in the pot.

"For awhile." She stood by the stove, taking in a deep breath. "I was actually thinking of going out for a little while."

"Okay, I was just working on something light for dinner, since we ate so much earlier."

"I should be back for dinner, but I think right now there's someone I need to see."

"This person wouldn't be Hank, would it?" He licked at his finger, with an amused expression on his face. She sighed, turning back around. "Hank and a few other friends."

"Then I have a feeling you'll be needing these." He reached into his pocket, tossing her his keys.

"Thanks! I almost feel like I'm back in high school again."

"Except you're not. You're a former executive-level hospital administrator, who is helping people around the world. You should be proud of what you've accomplished."

"Of course I'm proud of what I've accomplished."

Her brother shot her a very confused glance. "Then why don't you look very happy about it?"

"I'll let you know when I find out." Walking the short distance, Jill walked to the car. No sooner had she unlocked the door, did a sharp pain rip through her abdomen. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to make her feel slightly out of breath as she hopped into the car.

The dull ache lingered as she drove into the neighboring street. Luckily, it didn't take more than ten minutes to get to his cottage house. However, her nerves kept her from going up to Hank's door, announcing that she was back in the Hamptons for the week and that something wasn't quite right with her.

Before anyone could come out and realize that she was there, Jill promptly started the car and promptly went back the way she had come. Instead, she took another way towards town and parked in the chaos of people walking through stores.

In fact, it had been awhile since she window shopped anywhere. Then she saw it, the familiar banner, labeled Stella and Kate. Stella was a patient of Hank Med, who they found out had been suffering from a rare, but serious disorder of the skin and mucous membranes called Stephen-Johnson's syndrome.

Since she was avoiding Hank, it wouldn't hurt to drop in for a moment. As she got out, her pink top rustled in the wind and the bell above the door announced her arrival.

"Hi, welcome to Stella and Kate." Kate announced as she turned from stocking the shelf nearest the back wall. "You were here when I-"

"When you punctured your foot with the drill bit. Yes, I remember that day well."

"As do I." Kate mentioned, fighting back a grin as she placed the empty box behind the counter. " I even have the scar to prove it." Jill laughed, wincing slightly as she leaned up against the counter. "So what brings you by?"

"Well, I was in town and decided that I would do a little window shopping."

"And you thought that you would check up on us while you were out and about." Stella chimed in, walking towards the front of the store. "Jill, right?"

Jill nodded. "Hi, Stella."

"Hi." Stella greeted back pleasantly. "So you still working for Hank Med?"

"I was actually the hospital administrator for Hamptons Heritage. And Hank doesn't know I'm back in town yet."

"Oh." Kate came back from behind the counter. "So what brings you back from Africa?"

"My brother's wedding."

"Is your brother younger or older?" Stella inquired, moving a few products around on the middle shelf.

"Older. By about three years."

Stella chuckled. "Ah, I completely understand. I have two of them."

"Speaking of weddings, I should probably try to find a dress to wear."

"What are the colors the bride and groom chose for their wedding?" Kate inquired, now standing next to Jill.

Hesitating slightly, Jill crossed her hand over her stomach. "Uh, brown, pink and white."

"Oh pretty. You should try Royals." Kate pointed across the street to a shop that was just adjacent to their shop. "They just opened up their dress shop a couple months ago."

"Thank you so much." Jill added with much appreciation. So much that she turned around and gave them a small wave before exiting the building.

* * *

She had managed to avoid all her family's probing questions by stretching on about her work in Africa. However, doing so had her exhausted her. Her stomach was bothering her more than usual, but she figured the typical reason was that she had traveled clear across the world to spend time with her family, which probably hadn't been the best way to go about coming back to the Hamptons. The longer she spent here, the more her family wanted to know about.

With that, she fell into a deep sleep only to be awoken by the cries of her niece. She half expected someone to get up, but no one did. After about five minutes of crying, Jill now felt awake enough that she padded down the hall into the nursery.

"Hey, little one. You really don't sleep through the night, do you?" As she reached down to grab her niece out of the crib, Jill felt a little more prominent twinge through her stomach. Things were beginning to make sense, but still the stubbornness inside kept her from saying anything to anyone—especially Hank.

She sat down in the rocking chair, the padding slipping back as she began to rock. However, the pressure of sitting made her stomach feel worse, not to mention the rocking made her feel even queasier than usual. "Let's try sleeping on the bed and not in a rocking chair, shall we?"

Padding back down the hall, Jill quietly walked back to the hall with Ava resting on her chest. They slowly sunk down into the bed and she rubbed her niece's back. "I'm sure going to miss you when I leave." She whispered, staring up at a darkened ceiling. The warmth of the covers over her feet and of the baby on top of her, she eventually fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Morning." Carina stretched underneath the sheets, before rolling over and kissing her husband on his lips.

"Good morning." He kissed her back, then looked at the clock that read that it was nearly eight o'clock. "We should start getting ready, since Ernie is getting married around eleven."

"I guess we should." She listened to the silence of the house. "You know what we haven't heard all night?"

"What?"

"Our daughter. It seems she finally slept through the night."

"That would be wonderful if she really is sleeping through the night. But you know that we can't rule that out yet. She's just barely three months old."

She kissed him on his temple, before slipping out of bed. "I'm going to check on her." She smiled as he grabbed her hand, pulling her back in for one more kiss. "Why don't you shower, I'll get breakfast ready." She mentioned as she slipped out the bedroom door.

As she passed, the door to Mason's room was ajar. His room had been long been abandoned, with his sheets tangled over the side of the bed. When she got to the nursery, the blanket had been folded and placed neatly in the middle of the crib. However, the faint sound of cartoons and giggles sounded from downstairs and she knew where her kids were."

"Hey, how long have you been up?"

Jill looked at the watch on her wrist. "About an hour."

"I am so sorry. Did they wake you?"

Jill waved it off, then turned her body so her arm was resting on the back of the couch. "No, actually I got up before them."

"Oh, well as long as they didn't wake you."

"Nope. I had Ava with me most of the night. She pretty much woke up when I did and never went back to sleep. Mason came down about thirty minutes ago, so I put on a cartoon for him."

"That's good, considering that she almost never sleeps through the night." Cracking an egg into a silver bowl, Carina watched the screen for a moment. "He loves Mickey Mouse, by the way."

"I did too when I was a kid, except I watched most of them in black and white."

"Me too."

Jill turned back to watch the TV show, her hand pressed against her stomach. "Need any help over there?"

"No. You are a guest in this house, so enjoy resting while you can."


	4. Barreling Heights

"You okay?" Her mom inquired, sitting next to her at the farthest table in the corner of the room. There was still a line, even three hours after her brother's reception. "I haven't seen you pick at your food since you were nine."

"I'm fine, Mom. I just have lots of things on my mind." Slipping out of her chair, Jill dumped her half-eaten plate of food in the garbage. "I'm going to help clean up."

"I guess I'll see what I can do in the kitchen. The last time I checked, it was a disaster zone." Her mother backed off, then disappeared around the corner. Looking over her shoulder to make sure she was alone, she cleared a few plastic plates, then braced her hands against the rounded table.

She wasn't alone for long, however, as her nine year old niece approached her. "Aunt Jill?" Her green eyes were filled with worry. "You worked in a hospital, right?"

"I did, yes."

"So you know lots of doctors?"

"Becky—Did someone get hurt?"

"James and Mason were jumping off tables, even though Luke told them not to. Mason keeps holding his arm and crying."

Jill let out a deep breath, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Okay, show me where they are." Becky immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the back room located behind the gym. When they got there, Luke was holding both boys in his lap; James was looking around at the ceiling and Mason had tear streaks down his face.

"Hey Luke, why don't you go find Kendra or Lyle, and let them know what's going on."

Luke stood up, as Mason walked towards her. "I promise I just turned around to help Erin tie her shoe and before I know it, they both decided to jump off the table."

"Accidents happen, Luke. Okay?"

"Okay." He said quietly before leaving the room.

"Come here Mason, let's see that arm." Her two year old sniffled as he walked towards her.

* * *

"Mason, what happened?" Her brother Andrew inquired as he bent down to his son's level and to examine his arm.

"Luke didn't tell you?" Jill inquired, rubbing at her forehead.

"He told me that he turned around to help Erin tie her shoe and he and Mason decided to jump off that table." He pointed to the medium sized table sitting against the wall.

"Then you officially know as much as I do."I couldn't tell you if it's broken, but you still might want to get it checked out."

"Neither one of us can take him to the ER right now. We promised Ernie that we would take care of everything, and this place is a mess."

"Look, Drew-I've seen these kind of scenarios go both ways. Sometimes they're nothing, and sometimes they're a lot worse than they look. If it makes you feel any better, I will go call Hank and maybe he can stop by and take a look at Mason."

"You're sure you want to pull Hank into this?" He gave her an unsure look, as if she were crazy for even suggesting the idea.

"Just because we broke up, doesn't mean we stopped caring about one another." Mason whimpered, despite Jill carefully lifting him off her lap.

"So he knows you're here then?" She brushed herself off as she stood, a long sigh following.

"All I know is that I was fine until I got there."

"So what happened between that moment and when you got there?"

She took a moment to gather her thoughts as she leaned against the table that James and Mason had jumped off. "Hank and I have a complicated relationship. We've broken up, gotten back together, then broke up again. I didn't want to walk into his life, only to walk right back out."

"What do you think you'd be doing if you called him now?"

She looked briefly conflicted. "Hank is a good doctor. Otherwise, I wouldn't have suggested calling him."

"Okay." He held up his hands in surrender. "Call him."

Nodding, she looked over at Mason then walked out of the room. She waited until she was halfway down the hall before pulling her phone out of her sweater pocket and dialing his number. Not two rings later did he answer. "This is Hank."

"Hank, it's Jill."

"Jill?" There was definite confusion in the tone of his voice. "I thought you were in Africa."

"I was. That is until my brother decided to get married."

"Which brother?"

"Ernie, actually."

"Wow. That's great." Hank cleared his throat. "So what can I do for you?"

She looked over her shoulder to make sure that she was still alone. "

"I don't know the whole story, other than that my two and four year old nephew thought it would be fun to jump off a table."

"So which one of them got hurt?"

"My two year old nephew, Mason. Possible broken arm, maybe his wrist."

"Alright. Send me the address and I will come take a look."

"Thank you, Hank. I really appreciate this."

* * *

"Good news. Mason doesn't seem to have any broken bones, but he does have a good goose egg to the head." He took off his gloves and put them into the nearest trash can, then watched as Mason went back to playing with James.

"And from the looks of it, it looks like both James and Mason knocked heads on the way down." Jill pointed out an identical bump forming on the left side of James' head.

"So they're going to be okay then?" Andrew inquired, just his wife Carina walked into the room.

Something tells me they're going to be just fine." Hank gave them both a reassuring smile, then turned to Jill. "Can we talk?"

"Sure." They walked side by side down the hall. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I just thought you needed a break from your family."

She gave him an appreciative nod. "I'm not sure I was in my right mind when I decided to stay with my brother and his family."

"You don't look like you're feeling it either." Shooting her a concerned look, he set his bag on the floor and pulled out his thermometer. Before she could protest, he waved it across her forehead. "101.2"

"A low grade fever." She waved off his concern. "It's probably a virus that I picked up while traveling."

"It's possible. But I would like to do a few tests to rule out whatever is going through your system."

"Really, I'm good. The last thing I need is to become a patient again at Hamptons Heritage."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid."

"Tell you what-" She compromised. "If I feel any worse, I will call and you can run any test you like. But for now I need to stay here and help my family."

He reluctantly agreed. "Okay. But the minute you feel worse, I want you to call me. Not a minute less."


	5. On the Floor

Thank you Kathy and ddanne! Keep reading. Glad you're like liking the story.

* * *

Tossing and turning in bed that night, a severe pain in her stomach caused Jill to shoot upright with a gasp. Even after taking a few deep breaths, the pain still hadn't subsided. It was nearly four AM and all she wanted to do was lie back down in bed.

As she did, the pain still felt torturous to her insides. The more she moved back and forth, the more uncomfortable she felt. So much that she turned on the lamp to the right of the bed. The soft glow filling the room as she tested if she could stand.

Despite trying to be as quiet as she could, a few cries of pain escaped her lips as she made her way down the hall. A new wave of nausea swept over her as soon as she had closed the door behind her. Her breathing was rapid and her knees gave out as she slid down the wall.

She shivered as she pulled down one of the heavy towels hanging on the rack to the side of her. Covering the front part of her body helped slightly; with the mixture of a cold tile floor and whatever was plaguing her, she no longer had the energy to move and that spelled trouble. There was no way she was going to let her family see her like this.

"I have to get up." Jill told herself, now leaning her head against the wall. She braced herself so she was on her knees. However, the pressure in her stomach was enough for her to drag herself to the toilet and empty whatever was left in her stomach.

As she wiped her mouth with a piece of toilet paper, she had just barely flushed before there was a soft knock at the door. "Jill? Is everything okay?" Her brother Andrew inquired from behind the door.

"Yeah, I'm good. Go back to sleep."

Letting the back of her neck rest against the edge of the tub, she hardly heard him enter. "You always were stubborn." He mentioned, disappearing from the room, coming back with her phone in hand. He scrolled through her contacts, then put the phone to his ear.

"Jill?" Hank inquired, his voice filled with sleep.

"Hank, it's Andrew."

"Andrew, is everything alright with Mason?"

"He's fine. It's Jill I'm actually worried about. I found her sitting on the bathroom floor."

"The bathroom floor?" Hank motioned in alarm. "Andrew, did Jill pass out?"

Overhearing the conversation, Jill shook her head back and forth with a breathless response. "I didn't pass out, Hank."

"That's good. Do me a favor and don't let her move until I get there. I'm on my way." Andrew nodded, then hung up the phone.  
"He's coming, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's coming." He smirked, although a little sadly. "Told me not to let you move until he got here."  
She sighed, hissing in pain as she sat up more against the tub. "Not like sitting on the floor is the most comfortable position in the world."

"Jill." Hank softly shook her shoulder., then turned to Andrew when she didn't respond. "How long has she been like this?"

"She was fine up until you came."

Digging in his bag, Hank pulled out the thermometer and waved it over her forehead. "102.1" His frown deepened at the rise in her temperature. "Do you know if she took anything for her fever?"

Andrew shook his head. "Jill has always been good at hiding when she's sick. We basically came home, she went upstairs and never came back down. When I went to check up on her, she was already asleep."

"Has she been sleeping a lot lately?"

"Ever since she got here."

"Drinking or eating a lot?"

"Less actually." Andrew gazed at him with a panicked expression. "Are you thinking Jill brought something home from Africa?"

"It's possible, but probably not likely. When I was talking to her earlier, she had a low-grade fever and it looked like her stomach was bothering her." He reassured, crouching down and tapping on her abdomen to check for fluid buildup and pain.

Jill jolted in response, then opened her eyes to see who the offender was that had woken her up. "Hank?"

"Hey, you're awake."

She looked at him, then over at Andrew. "Tell me I didn't just wake up in a nightmare."

Hank smiled at her sarcastic remark. "I think you may have kidney stones, but I would like to take you to the hospital and run some tests-make sure we know exactly what we're dealing with." Taking his pressure cuff out, he wrapped it around her arm.

"Hank said you had a fever of 102.1. You're going to that hospital, even if I have to carry you." Andrew insisted, now sitting on the ledge of the bathtub.

"Andrew may have a good point." Hank agreed after a few moments. "Your blood pressure is elevated, most likely due to the pain you're in."  
Gazing at Hank, she gave him a reluctant nod. "Fine, but no drugs. They make me feel loopy."

* * *

"Knock knock." Hank greeted as he walked into her hospital room later that morning. "I was just coming to check up on you and see how you're feeling."

"Honestly, I didn't think I would ever see the inside of Hamptons Heritage so soon."

"Life has a way of surprising you." He looked around the room. "Aren't you missing a few people?"

"After what happened with the car accident in Boris' car, I told my family that they did not need to come this time. That and my parents are practically unreachable because they're on a cruise."

Hank chuckled slightly at her sense of humor. "And your parents? Brothers? How are they taking the news?"

"Not well. Andrew wanted to stay here all night, Ernie wanted to postpone his honeymoon and Lyle was prepared to come-as well as all of their wives."

"Sounds like you have a lot of people that care about you."

"I love them, I do. What I don't need is for them to come running every time something happens." Pushing back a piece of hair behind her ear, the IV line made a clinking sound as it hit against the metal pole.

"Well, the good news is that you should be able to be released tomorrow morning."

"And what's the bad news?"

"Neither of us want you flying back to Africa until after we get your results back." He pulled up a chair next to her bed. "Since you had kidney stones-"

"It's possible that I could get them again."

Hank gave her a firm nod. "Dr. Redliner and I want to make sure that we know exactly what we're dealing with before you go halfway across the world again."

"Fantastic. I'm sure my boss will love that." She paused, reflecting on what she had just said. "Speaking of bosses, how's the new hospital administrator treating you?"

"Honestly? I haven't had the chance to meet her yet." His smile widened as he leaned forward in his seat. "But I will let you know when I find out."

Shifting in bed, she gave him a tired but curious smile. "So who else knows that I'm here?"

"Just me, Dr. Redliner and a couple of nurses." Eyebrows pulling together, he looked slightly confused.

"Why?"

"Well, with my extended stay, I was hoping that we could get everyone together."

"With just having kidney stones, I was more hoping that you would take it easy for a few days."

"I understand you want me to take it easy, Hank. But that's kind of easier said than done." She drew in a deep breath, looking around the room.

"Being here is more like a vacation than a prison."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah. I have a feeling that when I get back, my family won't want to leave me alone." Blowing out an irritated sigh, she gazed towards the limited view outside the window. Especially now that I'm going to be staying a little longer in the Hamptons, I might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasts."

"Right. Have you thought about moving out of your brother's place to somewhere else?"

"Like to a hotel?" Looking up at the ceiling, she smirked. "Yeah, that could work."

"I meant with me."

Her green eyes narrowed on his. As soon as his words had sunk in, she was shaking her head. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea."  
"At least promise me you'll think about it."

"I can't say that it doesn't sound good. It's just the last time I was at your place, I had just gotten into a car accident-" Suddenly changing her train of thought, she added. "But I will definitely think about it."


	6. Gravitational Pull

"You're sure this is what you want, staying at a hotel until your visit is over?" Andrew checked, holding his phone in his hand. All of her brothers were now standing around her hospital room as she packed her bag.

"Why doesn't she just stay at my place while Alana and I are on our honeymoon? Luke is staying with Derek, so my place is empty." Lyle's voice echoed from the phone.

Stuffing a shirt into her bag, she zipped up her bag that was sitting on her hospital bed. "Your sister is standing right here." She called over her shoulder so her brother could hear her through the phone. "And I appreciate all of you wanting to lend your homes, really I do. It was harder than I thought to leave and it's going to be hard to leave again. So I'm going to need some time to adjust before I go, okay?"

The room was silent for a moment before her brother Derek chimed in a simple, "Okay. But you need to come see all of us before you leave. No running off like you did last time."

"I promise I will see all of you before I leave." She assured, looking all of them in the eye. "I just need a few days to wrap things up."

"I'm with Derrick. We'll be back by the end of the week, so I expect to see you then." Lyle's voice rang from the speaker.

"Oh trust me, I'm not going anywhere until those test results come in." Jill told them, locking eyes with Derek who only nodded and then disappeared out the door.

"I will hold you to that." Lyle paused. "Tell Hank I said hello."

"I will." And just like that, he had disconnected the call. Jill was left leaning against the bed, deeply sighing. "Well that went better than expected." Andrew stepped forward, standing at the end of the bed. "You have to understand that none of us were happy when you left the first time."

"If it had been my choice, I would have stayed a few more days to wrap things up, but they needed me immediately and my boss expects me to go back."

"I know." Andrew added softly. "And I will talk to all the family about it. Doesn't mean we won't miss you, you know." She gave him a tired smile, just as the nurse walked in with a wheelchair. "I think that's your ride."

She resisted the urge not to roll her eyes as she grabbed her bag off the bed. "Mrs. Casey. It's so good to see you again." The blonde haired nurse wrapped her arms around her.

"Callie."

"Hope you don't mind, but Haley was a little tied up with a patient, if you know what I mean." The nurse winked, as if there was a mutual understanding between the two of them.

"Oh, this place hasn't changed a bit." Jill remarked with a wide grin, as she sat down in the wheelchair.

"You know it."

"I wish I knew what the two of you were talking about." Andrew announced, walking closely behind them as they made their way down the hall. For the most part, everyone was busy doing their jobs. Two EMT's came flying through the hospital doors with a head trauma in tow, which brought back some memories for Jill. She watched them go by in an instance and the rush of adrenaline filled her chest, causing her to take in some shallow breaths.

"You okay?"

Jill shook her head to get rid of the not-so-distance memory of her car accident. "Yeah. Seeing that head trauma, I guess it just brought up some old memories."

"Have you had these flashbacks very often?" Callie checked as they continued on to the parking lot.

"Actually, this is the first time I've had them in a really long time. Maybe it's the trauma that came in, or maybe it's riding down the hall in a wheelchair. It just brought back something that I haven't thought about for awhile."

"Okay well, I'm trusting you know what to do if things get any worse."

"I do." Jill nodded as they crossed the street into the parking lot. As soon as the car came into view, Jill stopped her. "I think I can walk from here. Thank you, Callie."

The young nurse pulled her into another hug after Jill stood up. "It was really good to see you again, Jill."  
"It was good seeing you too. I'm sorry. Callie, this is my brother Andrew. Andrew this is Callie, the head nurse at Hamptons Heritage."

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too. I've heard so many good things about you." Callie shook his hand back as he used his car remote to unlock the silver Civic that was parked between a forest colored truck and a white pickup.

"Only good things I hope."

"Don't worry, nothing bad." Callie smiled reassuringly as she touched Jill's shoulder. "I should get back to work. You take care."

"Thank you." Jill watched her leave, taking a second look at Hamptons Heritage before hopping into the passenger side.

"So, I got your email." Divya walked into the guesthouse later that afternoon. Hank had just poured himself a steaming cup of coffee, and turned around at the sound of her voice.

"Oh good." Hank looked relieved as he took a gentle sip. "Do you think you'll be able to come?"

"I should be able to. Since I'm taking the day off, my schedule is free for a family dinner." Walking casually towards the counter, she took a seat on the middle stool. "Does that mean that you and Evan-"

"No, we still have our differences." He raised an eyebrow, then cupped his hand around his mug. "Just know that we're working through things."

"So is that why we were having a family dinner?" She carefully inquired. "By the way who all is coming to this family dinner?"

"You, me Evan, Paige-" He rattled off with a casual shrug. "Speaking of brothers, I'm wondering where mine is." Just as he uttered that, Evan walked through the door with a bunch of grocery bags in hand.

"Sorry, I'm here. I was just shopping for what feels like an army of people." Setting the grocery bags down on the counter, Evan looked up at Hank with a confused glance. "Why are we having a family dinner?"

"I just asked that same question." Divya replied, both looking over to Hank for an answer.

"That's just something you two are going to have wait until tonight to find out." He pulled out his phone that was buzzing in his pocket, and excused himself from the conversation."This is Hank-"  
-

Jill opened the hotel door wearing a white short sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans. "Hey, thanks for picking me up." She told Hank, opening the door wider so he could step in while she grabbed her pink sweater from edge of the bed.

"Of course. How are you feeling?"

"Considering I just got released from the hospital this morning, I'm actually feeling pretty good." They walked down the floral tan and red carpet. "I have to admit, I was a little surprised when you called to tell me that you had something planned for tonight."

"I thought you should have at least a couple homemade meals before you leave."

She smiled."So I take it you're cooking then?"

"I put something in this afternoon."

"Wow, you really know how to make a girl feel special." Jill teased, pushing the down button for the elevator. "I want to know what happened to me taking it easy?"

"I literally got through the front door of the hospital and knew that what I prescribed wasn't going to work. I considered that at least if you came for dinner, you'd be surrounded by two doctors."

"Okay, so now we know why you invited me to dinner." She feigned being shocked by his motive. "How do you really feel about me coming back?"

"Honestly, I'm a little shocked. I wasn't expecting your phone call for at least another two or three years from now."

"Yeah well, I wasn't expecting to come back so soon." She mentioned as he allowed her to enter the elevator first. "But when my brother mentioned he was getting married, things worked out where I could take off for a week and come back to the Hamptons."

"Well, I'm sure everyone will be glad you're back." Hank mentioned as the gravitational pull brought them down to the main floor of the hotel.


	7. Believe It Or Not- Part I

"Hey Babe, what are you doing?" Walking into the kitchen, Paige wore bright orange pumps that matched the flowers in her white and blue colored summer dress.

"I am stirring the pasta." Evan gave it one final stir and placed the spoon back on the counter. "And now I am draining the pasta."

Paige grinned widely, rounding the corner of the counter. "I can see that. What I meant is what are you doing around it?"

"Believe it or not, Hank had to step out to buy some last minute things and asked me to step in."

"So you guys have made up?" She inquired, laying her chin in the crook of his shoulder; her long blonde hair brushing against his back as he turned to kiss her deeply on the lips.

"Define making up, because I don't think that's happened yet." Placing the spoon on the counter, he turned to face her.

"Just give him time. He'll come around."

He looked a bit worried as he looked around the house. "I hope you're right, because I'm not really seeing a bright future in that department."

"You've been awfully quiet over there in the passenger's seat." Hank mentioned, glancing in her direction, then turned his attention back to the road.

"Sorry." Jill apologized, sitting up in her seat. "It's just that, shouldn't we have told everyone that I was coming?"

"We probably should have." Hank nodded as they merged into town. "However, with everything that's been going on the last few days with everyone-"

"Right. Please tell me you and Evan have made up by now."

He stayed silent as they stopped to see a little boy straying out into the street as the mom buckled another child into their car seat. "Angelo, come here!" The mother glanced over her shoulder. When he continued to spin in circles and ignore her, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back towards the car. "What did I tell you about playing in the street?"

"Depends on your definition of making up." Hank responded after they had driven past her brother's house. "How is your family taking you staying in a hotel?"

Her eyebrow shot up in surprise. "Oh, they made it abundantly clear they are not happy about it. All my brothers were there at the hospital, minus Lyle who was on the phone."

"Then sorry I wasn't there too." He added a little humor in to lighten the mood. "I was doing some follow ups for a couple of my patients."

"It's fine, really. I'm not sure I needed any more testosterone in that room." She smirked, leaning her cheek against the palm of her hand.

"So you going to tell me the real reason why you're staying in a hotel?"

Her words momentarily got caught in her throat as she looked over at him. It was clear that he knew her well."What I've seen in Africa has been so eye opening. The majority of the area I'm in now, have built their homes out of dirt and sticks and can barely afford food, let alone health care."

"Go on."

"Living there has changed me. I've sacrificed four months away from family and friends to take this incredible journey. I don't know that I have much time to adjust being here right now, but it's hard being back with all of you."

"Ah, I take it you're starting to feel a bit smothered?"

"Honestly, I've been thinking about leaving for days. The only reason why I didn't leave was because I loved holding my niece a little too much. And it made me realize at the same time that I want to have a family one day."

"Okay, but how are you going to do that if you're in Africa, or traveling around?"

She turned to look back out the window, the breeze catching strands of her dark brown hair. Her gaze grew distant as finally pulled into the large area of the mansion. "And I see this place has hardly changed a bit." Unbuckling her seat belt, she stepped out slowly to look around.

They walked around to a walkway surrounded by bushes, until they had reached the familiar entrance to the guest house. The off-white gate creaked open as Hank pushed it open. As he did, he looked around to make sure the coast was clear before ushering Jill inside to the patio.

"Hank, it's that you?"

"Yeah, Evan. It's me." Hank appeared at the sliding door to see Paige and Divya curiously gazing in his direction. "I hope you don't mind, but I found someone along the way and invited them to dinner. Divya stood up from her stool, then tried to peer around the corner. However, Hank was blocking her view.

"I think you do." Hank nodded, extending his arm. At that, Jill exhaled one deep breath and walked into view.

"Jill?" Divya inquired, tilting her head in surprise. Always having dressed impeccably, the Physician's assistant set her purse on the stool and wrapped her arms around Jill.

"How-" Evan stuttered, taking a step forward until he was standing next to Paige, who looked just as stunned. "are you even here right now?"

"Lets just say it started with my older brother getting married."

"Your older brother got married? That's great!" Evan excitedly cheered before his filled with confusion "Wait, what brother are we talking about here?"

"Lyle."

"The only one of her brothers that wasn't married." Hank said with satisfaction as he took the ham out of the oven and set on top of the stove.

Divya stepped forward and enveloped her into a hug. "You don't know how good it is to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Divya." Jill returned the hug as she glanced over at Paige, who was casting a worried glance towards where Hank and Evan were having their own conversation.

"I take it they still haven't made up?"

"No. However, the solution seems to be in the works." Divya nodded as they stood there and watched Hank and Evan arguing. "How long are you in town for?"

"Until next week." Jill answered distractedly, wagging a finger between the two brothers. "Please tell me you didn't intervene between these two.

"I can't say that I did any such thing?" Divya played innocently as they walked towards the table and sat down. "If you could have seen the these past four months, you'd be itching to solve their problems too."

"She speaks the truth, unfortunately." Paige piped up, reaching over to grab the pitcher of water to fill up their glasses. "Ever since Hank Med broke up, Evan has been edgier and all around moody."

Jill thanked her and took a sip of water. "Wow! Things really have changed since I've been gone."

"They have." Divya nodded, taking a sip of her own water. "On a better note, I did reconnect with my mother."

"Mmm." Jill took another drink as Hank then Evan set the steamed vegetables down on the table, followed by Hank setting the cut up ham on the left side of the vegetables. "And how was that?"

"Honestly, it was a little like sandpaper rubbing against a chalkboard. Because of my father, I didn't think she'd want to spend time with me. Then one day, she showed up and we've been trying to do things together whenever my father is not around."

"Speaking of fathers-" Evan mentioned, sitting down next to Hank on the other side of the table. "Our father unexpectedly came back to the Hamptons."

"So I've heard." Scooting her chair in, Jill glanced over in Diyva's direction. "And why is that?"

"I'm still not sure of that myself." Hank chimed in. "Let's eat."


	8. Believe It Or Not- Part II

"So how are you doing with your father being back?" Jill inquired as they cleared the table. Evan, Divya and Paige were conversing behind the counter.

Hank paused, setting the bowl of leftover vegetables back on the table. "Maybe a little angry, maybe even a little confused that he's back. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"I'm pretty sure that's not my place to say." Jill told him directly, swiping up the tray of butter and setting it on the counter. "And no, I did not have anything to do with him coming back. If I did, I probably wouldn't have come back to the Hamptons so soon after leaving."

"Good point." Hank accepted her response as she continued to clean off the table. Little by little, the food was put away, the counter and table washed off and they all gathered back in the living room area.

"That was a great dinner, thank you Hank." Divya mentioned, taking a seat across from Hank and Jill.

"You're very welcome." Hank replied with a nod.

"Thank Jill. She's the one that gave us a reason to celebrate." Evan chimed in, sitting down on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him. He wore a goofy grin that disappeared when Paige slapped his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Evan complained as she sat down beside him.

Paige shrugged, slipping off her shoes and tucked her legs in towards her body. As soon as she was comfortable where she was, she spoke up. "Well that was definitely better than any of the fancy dinners my parents have thrown."

"I think we might have worn her out." Divya gestured over to Jill, who had her eyes closed and head resting against the back of the couch. "Is she still experiencing jet lag?"

Hank shrugged, not wanting to break doctor-patient confidentiality. "It's been a long week with her brother's wedding, and especially being around her family again."

"It's hard having a love-hate relationship with family, isn't it?" Divya reflected, to which they all nodded. It seemed like each and every one of them was experiencing something in that department; Jill with her family, Divya and Paige with their parents, and now Hank and Evan with the return of their father.

"Good times all around." Evan muttered, a hint of sadness in his tone. "Isn't that the necklace you gave her as a going away present, Divs?" Together, they all looked closely at the gold necklace peeking out from underneath Jill's shirt.

"Indeed it is." Divya cracked a small smile, then sat back against her chair. "It took me nearly a week to find someone to make that necklace. I'm glad to see she's still wearing it."

"Something tells me she wouldn't have it any other way." Hank grinned, placing one hand behind his head and the other resting on his stomach.

"I think she has the right idea though." Paige piped up as she gazed over at Jill. "I think I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight all."

"Is everything good between you and Paige?" Hank checked, pointing to the direction she has retreated to. "She's barely said a word tonight."

"Yeah, everything is fine between us." Evan scratched his head and disappeared from the room.

"Speaking of being fine, how is Jill really?" Divya inquired, as if she had been holding onto that question all evening. They walked into the kitchen where he poured them some coffee.

"Honestly, I think she's adjusting." Hank shrugged, setting the pot back in the machine.

"Yet, you have that worried look on your face." She cupped her hand tightly around her cup. "The one you get when your patients aren't cooperating."

"I assure you that's not one of those times." Hank smiled with ease, taking another sip of his coffee. Placing his cup on the counter, he grabbed an extra blanket and put it over Jill. As he did, she stirred slightly but stayed asleep.

"Does that mean you're not going to wake her?"

"I'd rather not." He said softly, not finishing the rest of what he was thinking. "From the way she's been going the last couple days, I think she could use the uninterrupted sleep."

"_I knew I would find you here." A woman in her forties came to stand by her; her ebony skin contrasting against the red tinted sky. _

"_Kamaria? What are you doing? You're supposed to be resting." _

"_I should be. As should you. I know you were up all night putting finishing touches on this hospital." _

"_Okay." Jill grinned and pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear."But I'm also not a patient at this hospital. What are you doing out of bed?" _

"_I wanted to come see you before I go." Kamaria's heavy accent lingered with sadness. _

_Jill drew her eyebrows together, then sighed tiredly. "We've already talked about this. You are not going anywhere until you get better. I told you that we'd find some way to help pay for your medical-"_

_Kamaria held up a hand. "I appreciate everything you've done for me and my community. Don't take for granted what you have around you." Her tone was filled with emotion as they watched the sun go down in the sky. "Three years ago, my children watched their father be killed. A year later they were killed too." _

_Jill folded over her chest for comfort."You don't want to get better because you want to be with your family." _

"_My husband was a good man, Ms. Casey. He died protecting his family from bad men who came to harm us." The words danced behind her eyes, like a haunting fire dancing deep within her soul. "The last words he said to us were to run away and hide yourselves, so they will never find you. So we ran into the forest behind our home and started over with a few friends who had escaped."_

"_Sounds like your husband was protecting you and your children." _

"_He did. It also cost him his life." _

"_In other words you're not getting the treatment because you want to be with your family again." _

"_For many years I was angry, that my family was taken from me. When I went back to the house, I found my husband had been brutally beaten." Jill took in a raspy breath, closing her eyes to shake the image. "A few weeks later, my children had been drowned along with my friend and her children. And ever since that day, I've wanted nothing but to be with them again." Her eyes finally lifted from the ground as she turned towards Jill. "Don't take things for granted because you never know when they'll be taken from you." _

The scene from Africa ended abruptly as Jill slowly opened her eyes. As real as the dream seemed, it took a few minutes before she realized that she was back home in the Hamptons and not in Africa. More specifically she was still at Hank's and not back at the hotel after the family dinner Hank hosted last night.


	9. Wake Me

Moving to stand from her place on the couch, Jill carefully stretched and looked around. From the rare emails from Hank, Divya and Evan, she understood that there were things that he hadn't told her. Things she hadn't been aware of until she had arrived back in the Hamptons.

"Oh good, you're awake." Hank greeted as he walked downstairs. He was wearing the usual Hank attire, which consisted of a plain green shirt and jeans.

She turned towards him, keeping her hands by her side. "How come you didn't try and wake me?"

"I did, actually." Hank mentioned, opening the fridge door. "Even went to see a few patients and you looked like you hadn't moved the entire time I was gone. I know it's been a long week, but you're sure you're feeling okay?"

Jill thought about it, then smiled. "A few more days of uninterrupted sleep like that and I should be good. I haven't really slept well since I left, due to lots of staff training and a few other things."

"Other things?" He inquired, pouring some coffee for the both of them. Just as she opened her mouth to respond to his question, his phone rang. He set his cup back on the counter, pulling his phone from his back pocket.

"This is Hank." He greeted, watching Jill retreat back towards the couch. She slipped her shoes on that had been sitting near the left side of the couch. "I'll be right there."

"Everything okay?"

"Divya and I have a patient that we need to see, but you're welcome to stay here as long as you want."

"Thanks, but I think I'll head back over to the hotel." Grabbing her purse that she had left by the side of the couch. "I should rest up just in case I have to deal with my family again."

"Okay well, why don't I drop you back at the hotel on my way?" He gestured towards the door. She looked unsure for a moment, not wanting to argue or continue their earlier conversation.

"That would be great, thanks. In the meantime, I should probably think about getting a rental car, if for some reason I stay here longer than a week."

* * *

"Hi." Veronica greeted Hank and Divya at the door. She had strawberry blond hair, fair skin, a slightly perky personality and was wearing a white dress with floral print. "Thank you for coming. My regular doctor is in Manhattan. But I have so many clients in the Hamptons, and I just don't like to leave unless absolutely necessary.

"Do you perform weddings?" Divya inquired, upon looking at the wall filled with framed pictures of happy couples that lined one side of the wall.

"No, I don't. I perform introductions. I'm a matchmaker. This is my wall of fame. Are you two single? I have some space on my wall still."

"I'm married to my work." Hank deadpanned as they walked into the living room area. "Uh, haven't gotten around to buying a ring yet, but I will."

"And are you open to-"

"No." Divya answered shortly, following right behind Hank.

"Just checking. The hazard of the job." Veronica responded as Hank set his bag down on her glass coffee table. "Oh, you hit the remote. Let me fix that." Reaching underneath his bag, he gladly handed the remote to her and she pushed a button that stopped the blinds from rising on the three exterior windows."Thank you. Ooh-" Wavering back and forth, both Hank and Divya put a hand on her back as they helped her sit. "There's that again. Sorry, lightheaded. It's been happening all morning." Hank touched the stethoscope to her chest. "I also have a fluttering in my chest. Like a hummingbird. Just something that a woman in my condition has to take seriously."

"You're referring to your surge. Wait-" Hank listened to what he was hearing, in slight disbelief nonetheless. "I hear two heartbeats."

"Maybe it's the stethoscope." Divya whispered as she sat down in the chair to the side of the couch.

"Maybe it's my two hearts." Veronica confirmed. Hank's eyebrow rose in surprise as he put the stethoscope back in his bag. "You had a heterotopic heart transplant?"

A rather rare surgery, a heterotopic heart transplant was used for patients who's donor heart that was too small, the patient has a weak heart and need another one to help it function; or if they have pulmonary hypertension.

"Yes, but you shouldn't be able to hear them both. They should both beat as one. It's far more romantic that way." Veronica gestured wildly with her hands.

"Not to mention healthier."

"Yeah." Veronica laughed, although a little too happily.

"Yeah, I'm going to do an EKG." Hank announced in a serious tone. That seemed to replace the air in the room with a little less happiness.

"Fun." Veronica countered, with less enthusiasm than before as she sat back against the couch.

"Then I will get the portable EKG machine from the car, and we can get started." Divya volunteered, standing up quickly and disappearing towards the front of the house.

"Thanks, Divya."

She returned a few minutes later with the machine in hand, looking like she had taken a few deep breaths and was more herself as she set the machine down on the coffee table.

"If I had a nickle for every time I had an EKG." Veronica leaned back as he attached the patches to her skin. "I would have a metric buttload of nickels." Hank gave a pleasant laugh as she continued. "I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy nine years ago. Two years on the transplant list, seven years as a transplant patient. And the month after my surgery, I had to have an EKG every other day." The two doctors shared an sympathetic look. "That's like fifteen nickels right there. I could probably do it myself, but I wouldn't be able to read it."

"Well let's see if I can. I've never done one on two hearts."

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Why did your doctors add a heart rather than perform a replacement?" Divya inquired, her interest now peaked at the fact that their patient had two hearts beating inside of her.

"They couldn't find a perfect match. So they put in a second to help mine pump. After the surgery I was all heart, so I decided to start a matchmaking business. No one ever likes that joke." Veronica teased, as the EKG machine recorded her heartbeats. "But feel free to be the first."

"Uh, it's alright." Hank glanced down at the machine. "Hmm. Uh, the complexes in one heart appear to be normal, but the other shows intermittent SVT."

"Definitely wouldn't have been able to read that." Veronica shook her head, a concerned look in her eyes.

"I'd like to take you to a local specialist just to be safe."

"Ah, the life of a transplant patient." Veronica laughed sarcastically as the machine continued to track her heart rhythm. She stayed hooked up until the allotted time was up, then Hank removed the patches and she sat up.

"The doctor will probably want to look at your medications, so you should bring them."

"Hope you have a big back seat." Helping her up, Veronica disappeared down another hall with white painted walls and lots of windows. As she did, Hank and Divya packed up the machine and then Hank thought back to what he had said about being married to his work.

"It looks like Veronica has been successful in her endeavors as a matchmaker."

"Please don't tell me you're actually thinking of her setting you up with someone." Divya countered, grabbing her bag that she had left by the chair she had been sitting in.

"Not really, no."

"I have a feeling there's a but in there-"

Hank couldn't help but smile as he shrugged and they walked towards the front of the house. "Perhaps it would be nice to meet that one person you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with."


	10. Wish It Were That Simple

"Hey Jill, it's Hank. Give me a call when you have a minute? I've got your test results and I think you're going to want to hear it." Just as he ended his message, Divya pulled up in her black Mercedes-Benz SUV as he pocketed his phone.

Divya wore a tight white skirt with a dark purple top and black pumps. "Sorry I'm late. My daughter was having an especially hard time with me leaving today."

"Somehow I don't think our patient will mind." Hank mentioned as they walked up to the front door and rang the door. Inside, there was screaming and wailing, followed by heavy footsteps.

"Or maybe they will." Divya and Hank exchanged a glance as familiarity set in. "Dr. Lawson. Thank you so much for coming."

"Anything I can do to help. You said Mason jumped off the stairs?"

"Over the railing onto the floor." She went to sit back down next to a sniffling Mason who was nursing the same arm he had hurt during the wedding. "This is what happens when your son thinks he's superman, and almost tries to smash his sister."

Hank gave her an amused smile as he kneeled by Mason. "Hi, Mason. I'm Dr. Lawson. Mind if I look at your hand?" Mason shrugged hesitantly, but held out his arm. "Unfortunately it looks like you could have broken his arm this time."

"So now what happens?"

"You said Mason almost smashed his sister-" Hank mentioned, looking at the abandoned bouncy chair that had been pushed against the far end of the couch.

"She's okay. I left her over by the coffee table because she had fallen asleep, and went into to the kitchen to grab a drink of water. Mason was upstairs playing in his room, or at least I thought he was, until I heard a loud thump-"

"And that's when you realized that Mason had been hurt."

"Yeah."

"Thankfully Jill came over a few minutes before you did and took Ava out back to calm her down." She lifted her chin towards the back door that was located between the kitchen and living room.

"I'll go check up on them" Divya volunteered as Hank explained what they would do next to Carina. As she opened the back door a few minutes later, she looked around the modest but shady backyard, filled with luscious green grass and flowers planted all along the fence.

Jill was lying on the porch swing, Ava wedged between her and the swing, both asleep. Divya smiled, as she toyed with whether to wake her or not. Luckily, she didn't have to. Jill stirred, and peered up at her.

"Hmm. Oh hey, Divya."

"Why is it that whenever I see you, you're always asleep?"

"Probably the McGilicuddy curse. We can sleep almost anywhere. After Mason woke her up, we came out here and she fell asleep on me."

"So naturally you fell asleep too." Jill nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"I know you just traveled clear across the world, but is there something that I should know about?"

"Like what exactly?"

"A health issue? A boyfriend? Pregnancy? Something like that."

"A boyfriend, no. A pregnancy, definitely not. A health issue, kind of." Divya gave her a concerned look. "Nothing horrible. After I came back to the states, I had a little issue with kidney stones. Nothing compared to the spider bite or the car accident."

Divya lifted her head in recognition of what she was talking about. "Ah, yes, who could forget that." They shared a smile as it grew quiet between them. "But other than that you're okay?"

Jill looked towards the horizon, a sad smile that quickly faded as quickly as it had come. "I''m okay. It's just hard being back, you know? I had a life here in the Hamptons."

"Well you know the Hamptons would love to welcome you back. And when I say the Hamptons, I mean everyone here."

"Thanks, Divya."

The back door slipped open. Carina appeared, holding Mason in her arms. "Jill? I'm going to take Mason to the hospital."

"Okay. Ava is asleep, so I can stay here until you get back."

"That would great, thanks."

"My brother went on a business meeting about 200 miles away." Jill explained to Divya, gently patting Ava's back.

"Well, I know she'll be in perfectly capable hands then. Next to her mother, of course." Divya looked up at Carina and smiled as they made their way inside. Jill settled back in when Hank stepped out onto the porch next.

"Well, you look comfy."

"Didn't think I'd be so comfortable." Jill responded quickly, shielding her eyes with her hand.

"Do you think we can talk later to go over your test results?" Hank tilted his head, so he could further take in the scene before him.

"I should be either here or back at the hotel, so just give me a call when you're free." Jill nodded, settling back against the pillow.

"I will do that." Hank nodded, disappearing back through the door.

"Jill?" Carina called out as they walked into the house, and Mason sleepily walked over to the couch and curled up on it.

"In the living room."

Closing the book in hand, Jill sat up, careful to not waking Ava who was resting on her legs. "She fell asleep about thirty minutes ago. How's Mason?"

"Dr. Lawson took an x-ray and found that he fractured a small part of his radius. He put a cast on his arm, and will check back in about six weeks to see if arm has healed fully on its own. In the meantime, Mason and I had a long chat about why it's not safe to jump off banisters, stairs, or anything really."

"Well, hopefully he learned his lesson."

"I sure hope so." She looked over her shoulder to where she could still see Mason curled up on the couch. "I know the whole experience wiped him out."

"Poor guy."

Carina nodded silently. "I'm not sure this is how you imagined your trip back to the Hamptons would go."

"No, I will most certainly have a story to tell when I get back to Africa."

"Here, I will take Ava upstairs if you want to go see Mason."

"I would love to." Handing Ava over, Jill brushed herself off and padded into the foyer.

As she entered the room, he turned to look at her, tears in his eyes. "Hey, I heard you had kind of a rough afternoon." Mason sniffled and nodded, turning away from her as he sniffled again. "What if we put in transformers?"

"Watch with me?" He asked her hopefully, now struggling to sit up due to his hand being in a cast.

"Of course." He gave her a small smile as he held out his good hand so she could grab it, then continued to hold onto hers as they walked into the living room. He settled on the couch with his Transformers blanket as she quickly put in the disc and sat next to him.

By the first ten minutes of the movie he had crawled into her lap, not taking his eyes off the screen. After twenty minutes he was leaning against her arm, fast asleep.

"Any way we can just keep you here? My kids love you." Carina half-joked, sitting in the chair next to the couch.

Jill nodded, her tone full of emotion. "At first I was irritated that I wouldn't be going back to Africa, but being back has also shown me what I've been missing."

"Or who you've been missing." Carina suggested with a smirk. "I see the way Hank looks at you."

"I'm pretty sure Hank has moved on." Jill waved her off. "Besides, we broke up because I left for Africa." Mason stirred on her lap, which caused them both to pause their conversation.

"If that's the case, then your brother and I would have never been married." Sitting on the edge of the couch, Carina offered, "What I'm trying to say is: really think about your feelings for him. And if you don't have feelings for him—then fine—he's probably not the one. If you find you do still have feelings about him, then tell him how you feel before its too late, and try to make it work because you never know what's going to happen."

"I wish it were that simple." Jill closed her eyes. When she opened them, her eyes reflected the weight of this decision, and other things she hadn't yet disclosed in her life.

"Okay." She stood up, gazing down at her sleeping son. "Since you're being held hostage, why don't you stay for dinner."

Without missing a beat, Jill nodded. "I would love to."


	11. Small Spaces

"Hey, sorry for coming so late." Hank apologized after knocking at her hotel room.

"Are we going to start making this a thing? You standing at my door?" She joked, one hand gripping the door.

"Yeah, maybe." Hank looked amused. "But not for long, right?" Grabbing a few papers, he set his bag on the floor.

"Right." She opened the door so he could step into the hotel room for privacy to discuss her results. "So what's the verdict?"

"Everything checks out and you're clear to go."

"Just like that, I'm clear to go?"

"How do I put it nicely? Most likely because of your busy schedule and changing diet, you weren't taking the best care of yourself, which isn't really like you. Don't get all excited at once now."

Jill closed her eyes as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "Sorry, it's just been a really long day."

He looked over at the open suitcase on the floor. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I'm checking out of this hotel."

"Oh?" Hank gave a raise of his eyebrow. "And going where exactly?"

"Back to Carina's. She felt bad that I felt the need to come to a hotel after traveling all this way. That and she understood that my brother can be a little intense sometimes."

"Sounds like some people don't want you to leave."

"Join the crowd. I've been hearing that a lot lately."

Putting his bag down, he sat by her on the edge of the bed. "I guess the question is do you want to leave?"

"I don't know, Hank. I mean it feels like a waste if I gave up our relationship and my job, put my house for sale and left my family and friends for something that I've wanted to do for years."

He met her gaze with a gentle smile. "The way I like to think of it, is that sometimes we have to experience something before we truly find out whether its important to us."

"Is that what you first thought when Evan dragged you to the Hamptons?"

"No, that is not what I thought when Evan dragged me here. In fact, it took me awhile to see that he wasn't crazy. Now I thank him for it because it has been surprisingly the most rewarding adventure that I have ever been on."

That caused her to laugh a little. "I'm glad you see it that way." Her eyes searched his with a hopeful spark of wonder as he leaned in. Their lips collided in the most delightful but hungry way. And when it was all over, it left them wanting more.

"I guess now's a better time than ever to tell you Carina will be here any minute."

His eyebrows rose then fell in slight disappointment. "Right. The sister-in-law who is picking you up to take you back to her house."

"Yeah, this is really starting to suck that I no longer have a car to drive. And If she sees you here, she'll probably ask more questions than we both want." They both shared an amused look as they waited for the elevator.

He held the door for her as she stepped in, the pull of gravity causing their shoulders to bump slightly as they stood next to one another. "About earlier-"

"No need to explain." Hank shifted his bag in his hand. "I think we both just got caught up in the moment." The door slid open and a woman and her son stepped onto the elevator which quieted their conversation.

"Mommy." The boy tugged on his mom's shirt half way through the ride. "I forgot my inhaler."

"I'm sorry. Do you mind if we got back up to the fifth floor?"

"Not at all." Hank pushed the button to go back up and he shared a look with Jill that went along the lines of _I guess we'll be stuck with each other for a few minutes longer than we expected. _Just as he finished that thought, the elevator lurched to an unsettling stop.

"It's probably nothing." The woman assured her son, giving his hand a tight squeeze. The little boy who was wearing a red polo shirt and dark jeans, knit his brows together with slight worry.

"But Mommy, I need my inhaler." The boy whined, sucking in a breath.

"Christopher, I'm sure we'll be out in a few minutes, okay? Take a deep breath in, and out." The little boy did was he was instructed to do. Hank stepped forward and pushed a few buttons but it was useless, the elevator would not budge.

"I'm probably going to need your help." Hank inquired to Jill in a low voice, his eyes shifting over to the little boy. She peered around him, recognized what the problem was and turned back to Hank.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure yet." Hank dug around in his bag to assess what he had brought with him. "But if we don't get out of here soon, I'll have to think of something." Looking over the elevator buttons, he looked for a possible call button or way out but there didn't seem to be much of an option.

By this time the mom and her little boy were sitting down on the floor. "Christopher? You hang on, okay? We're getting out of here."

Christopher raised his chin and looked up at his mom. "I really don't feel well."

"Christopher, my name is Hank and this is Jill."

"Hi, Christopher." Jill greeted with the most comforting smile that she could muster.

"Hi. This is my mom, Jody." The little boy introduced, wrapping his arm around her neck and placing a small kiss on her cheek.

"It's nice to meet you both." The woman nodded but looked particularly drained as she sat against the elevator wall. "You two a couple?"

"Uh, I would like to think of us more as good friends." Hank said tensely, meeting Jill's gaze to make sure he was correct with his assumption.

Jill nodded back to him, understanding his unspoken question as they stood next to one another. "Actually Hank is a doctor. The only reason he was here at the hotel was he was checking up on me."

"He was?" Christopher inquired weakly as he scrunched his nose up. Jill nodded as she sat down a few feet away from them. "Are you a doctor too?"

"Close. I was a hospital administrator."

"I think you just made his day. He's always wanted to run a hospital." Jody smiled, although her eyes fluttered closed as her chest heaved back and forth. "That or be a doctor."

"Jody, do you also have asthma?" Hank asked, concern lacing in the tone of his voice.

"No." She shook her head back and forth. "I'm kind of claustrophobic. Usually I take the stairs but decided it would be quicker to take the elevator so we could meet my brother at the restaurant down the street. I'm not sure what I was thinking."

"You probably weren't thinking you weren't going to be stuck in an elevator today." Hank joked, bringing out his stethoscope.

"No, I didn't. Do him first. He probably needs it more than I do." Jody told him in one breath as Hank kneeled down on the elevator floor.

"I'll see if our phone has a connection." Jill mentioned, taking her phone out of her pocket.


	12. Calm Down

"Welcome back." Hank looked relieved as the little boy took in a deep, gasping breath as the medication coursed through his veins.

"What happened?" Christopher rasped, lying on the floor of the elevator.

"You had a reaction to not having your asthma medication. It won't last long but it might keep you stable until we can get out of here." Hank looked up at Jill, asking her the silent question if she had been able to get help. He knew by the look on her face that she had no luck with finding a signal before she said anything. "We have nothing."

"Hank?" Christopher raised his head slightly off the ground.

"Yeah."

"Is my mom going to be okay?"

"I think you're both going to be just fine."

Jill looked up from her phone. "Most elevators have an emergency button, right?" Her eyes trailed over to the rows of buttons until she came upon a red one. She stepped forward to take a better look until she saw the small white E. She didn't wait for him to tell her to push it, she did so and was rewarded with a short bell sounding overhead. When there was no answer, she tried again. This time, she was greeted with a voice on the other end.

"Front desk. What can we help you with?" A woman's voice echoed through the elevator.

"Hi. We have four people stuck on your elevator—two of which need medical attention."

"Ma'am, we're sending help your way."

"Did you hear that? We're getting off this elevator soon." Hank assured him.

"That's great." Christopher nodded as Hank helped him sit against the elevator wall so he could get more air in his lungs.

"Jill?"

"Yeah, Christopher."

"You never said why Hank was here at the hotel. Are you sick?"

"I was sick."

"Then why did you have to check up on her if she was better?" He looked to Hank for that answer.

"Well, sometimes as a doctor I check up on my patients one last time."

"Sometimes?" Jill raised her eyebrow.

"Okay, I always check up on my patients." He looked slightly amused. "That's only because I care about them."

Christopher smiled back at him reassuringly, just as a voice came from from behind the metal doors. "Hello?"

It was an older, male voice this time. "My name is Kyle, I'm the mechanic. I've got the electrician with me. We're working on getting you out of there, okay?"

"Okay." Christopher called out before anyone else could.

"Is everyone okay in there?"

"At the moment everyone is stable." Hank assured him. "I'm not sure they will be for long."

"Well, hang in there. Help is on the way." His muffled reply came as he worked on the mechanics of the door.

"Hank." She gestured over to Jody as she crouched on the other side of Christopher. "She's waking up."

Crawling over to Jody, Hank checked the pulse on her wrist. "Welcome back."

"I passed out, didn't I?" Jody stated weakly, her eyelids fluttering against the sleep overtaking her.

"Mom?" Christopher rasped, falling short of reaching his hand over to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetie. A little tired, that's all." Jody licked her dry lips as she looked over at Hank and Jill. "Thank goodness you both were here."

"I'd like to call it extreme luck." Hank listened to her heart with the stethoscope. "Your heart is still beating quite fast. However, I think you'll be okay once you're not in such a small space." He dug to the very bottom of his bag and pulled out a brown paper bag. "In the meantime I want you to breathe very slowly into this bag until we get out of this elevator." She nodded, doing what he asked as he attended to her son.

The noise level was rising, which caused Christopher to become frightened. "I'm not sure I like all this noise."

"Hey. All this noise is what's going to get us out of here, okay?" Jill promised him, calming him slightly. "So what I want you to do is take in some deep breaths. Can you do that for me?"

Christopher paused, his chest rising and falling deeply. "I think so." He groaned in fright as the elevator creaked around them. "I can do this." He repeated to himself over and over again until he had calmed down.

As they all took a moment to embrace the silence, the emergency personnel arrived outside the metal doors. They were discussing how much time it would take to get the doors open, and the plan they had once they got inside.

"Hello in there. I'm Randy Quinn with the South Hampton. How is everyone doing in there?"

"Hi, Randy. I'm Hank Lawson. I'm a concierge doctor here in the Hamptons."

"Hank. I think I've heard of you." Randy paused. "You're pretty popular around these parts. Can you tell me who else is with you, and what kind of medical issues we're looking at here when we get these doors open."

Hank and Jill exchanged glances. "A mother and son—she has claustrophobia and he has asthma but no inhaler. He was also due for medication about twenty minutes ago."

"I will have somebody get on that inhaler."

"Go to Room 105. The inhaler should be there somewhere." Jody called, struggling to sit up against the wall.

"Benny, Room 105. Look through every bag until you find that inhaler. We need it as soon as those doors open up." He mentioned to an unidentified person. "And the fourth person?"

"Hey, Randy, Jill Casey."

Randy was quiet for a moment. "It's nice to meet you, Jill. We're close to getting you out of there, so hang in there just a few more minutes."

"We're getting out of here?' Christopher piped up, trying hard to stay positive. "Because I really want to see Uncle Sam."

"I'm guessing you'll get to see him soon." Hank mentioned, looking toward the closed metal doors. "Maybe he's even out there waiting for you."

"You really think so?"

Hank nodded, just as the doors were opened slightly and then closed again. "They're really close to getting us out of here."

"Hank?"

"Yeah."

"Have you ever been stuck in an elevator before?"

"No, I can't say I have." Hank responded with slight humor in his voice. Have you?"

Christopher shook his head, turning his attention to Jill. "Jill?"

"I got stuck in one as a kid, but only for a couple minutes when my brother made me believe we were stuck in one."

"I bet you got him for that."

"Oh, believe me." Jill sucked in a deep breath as her eyebrows rose. "I did." Just as she told him, metal ground against metal as the elevator door slid open.

"How's everyone doing?" An EMT inquired as he stepped just inside the elevator to hand Hank the inhaler.

"Here, take in a deep breath." Hank instructed Christoper as he handed him the inhaler. "You start to feel better in just a few minutes. But these EMT's are going to want to take you to the hospital, just so they can check you out."

"What about dinner with my Uncle Sam?"

"If he's not out there, I'll personally find him and let him know where you are, okay?"

"You promise."

"I Promise."


	13. I Don't Want To Lose You

"Hey. Can we talk?" Jill inquired after she had arrived at the hospital. She had driven his car and given Jody a lift after she had refused to go in the ambulance, due to her claustrophobia. Thankfully mom and son were doing good and now both Hank and Jill were free to talk.

Hank signed off on the chart in hand and gave it back to the nurse behind the desk. "Sure. Is the boy's uncle on his way?"

Jill nodded as they walked down the hall together. "Finally got a hold of him. He was near the back of the restaurant, so it blocked out a lot of the noise of the sirens and what was going on in the elevator."

"Makes sense."

"Hank, I've been thinking about coming back to the Hamptons. Maybe not straight away, but being stuck in that elevator made me realize all the things I've left behind. "Before I got on that plane, I took a pregnancy test."

"Pregnancy test? Why didn't you tell me this?"

"This is going to sound strange—the night after I was supposed to leave, I found a pregnancy test on the floor behind my toilet. I don't know how it got there, so I turned it in my hands." She held her hands out like she was holding a box. "I felt off, so thought it couldn't hurt."

"But it was negative."

"Yeah." She stated quietly. "Guess it was all the stress of moving so quickly. You'd think I would be used to all that by now."

"Sometimes life has the better way of getting to us." He paused as a doctor passed by them. "You're sure you want to come back."

"I want things to be different."

Hank nodded in understanding as another person passed by them with wonder. "Jill Casey." The woman greeted her as she took a second glance. She was 5 '6, had short blonde hair and was dressed in dark blue scrubs.

"Zoey, hi."

"Hi. Are you back? I thought you were in Africa."

"I came back for my brother's wedding." Jill told her as Zoey sat down beside her.

"Okay. So when are you leaving?"

"In a couple days."

"Oh well, if you're not too busy I would like us to get together."

"Yeah." Jill reached into her purse to grab her phone so she could check her calendar. "Looks like I'm free tomorrow. I know that's soon."

"No. I actually have tomorrow off, so I will see about getting a couple other gals together and will let you know. You have the same phone number as before?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay." Zoey rested her hand on Jill's knee as she scooted towards the edge of the chair. "Then I will let you know after my shift in a couple hours."

"Sounds good."

"Alright, I will talk to you soon then." Her pager went off as she stood up. "There's never a dull moment in this place. It's definitely not the same without you."

"I'm not sure that's true."

Zoey gave her a look like she didn't believe what she was saying. "Okay well, I will talk to you soon."

"Bye." Jill waved and disappeared down the hall.

"Girl's night. Sounds like fun." Hank joked, looking at his phone. "I have to go check up on another patient. Do you want me to drop you off at your sister's house on my way back?"

"Actually I was thinking about joining you for one last case before I have to go back to Africa."

"You're sure? After everything that's happened tonight."

"I could use a friend after what happened tonight. I'll give my sister a call and let her know that I'm going to be late." Grabbing her phone, she made the call and they were on their way with a new future in mind.

* * *

Thank you for reading, and for all your comments. I appreciate it.


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